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Man Utd’s Best of British: Is this Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Old Trafford dream?
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 12 Feb 2026 10:11 GMT
- 6 min read
Feature
Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke out strongly against immigration to the UK in a controversial interview with Sky News.
Ratcliffe – who himself is a Monaco resident – claimed that the “UK has been colonised by immigrants”, sparking widespread criticism.
During the discussion, he held himself up as a martyr, claiming that he has no problems being unpopular if it means getting ‘the big issues sorted out’.
“I've seen quite a bit of this at the football club. If you do difficult things, which we felt that we had to do at Manchester United... we felt like they were the right things to do. But you do become very unpopular for a while,” Ratcliffe, who oversaw Man Utd’s worst season in Premier League history last term, claimed.
Man Utd's team, meanwhile, is packed with expensively recruited players from abroad, and without these figures the Red Devils would lose much of their potency.
Here's how an all-British Man Utd side would currently shape up:
Man Utd’s best British XI
Goalkeeper
Tom Heaton
Heaton is best known for a spell with Burnley that saw him play 188 league matches for the Clarets and even win three caps for England. He came through the Manchester United youth academy but has only played three competitive fixtures for the club in nine seasons with the first team. Currently third-choice goalkeeper behind Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir. He will turn 40 later this season.
Defence
Harry Maguire – Centre-back
The world’s most expensive centre-back when Man Utd signed him from Leicester for €87 million, Maguire is often chastised by critics but has bounced back impressively from a thigh problem to play a key role in United’s resurgence under Michael Carrick.
Ayden Heaven – Centre-back
On the fringes of Man Utd’s first-team squad, the 19-year-old Heaven was signed from Arsenal for €1.8m. Has shown some promise, although it’s unclear whether he will be able to establish himself as anything more than a rotation option at Old Trafford.
Tyler Fredricson – Centre-back
The 20-year-old has only two minutes of first-team football to his credit this season, coming on as a late substitute to shore up the defence in a 1-0 win over Newcastle on Boxing Day. Has not had a look-in under Carrick and, realistically, is likely to be moved on in the summer.
Jaydan Kamason – Right wing-back
Kamason’s closest thing to a top-team debut came in the Europa League last season as he appeared on the bench four times, but since then he has reverted back to the starter for the U21 side. Man Utd’s staff were said to be ‘really excited’ by the 19-year-old’s progress in May 2025. An athletic wing-back with strong recovery speed and an impressive offensive output.
Luke Shaw – Left wing-back
Not the player he once was, Shaw remains a mainstay of the Manchester United starting XI and has answered questions about his durability by playing in every Premier League match this season. Despite this, the left-back area is one that the Red Devils are seeking to strengthen in the summer. This could mean either Shaw becomes a backup option, leaves the club or moves more permanently into the central defensive role he has manned at times.
Midfielders
Kobbie Mainoo – Central midfield
A prodigiously talented midfielder, he struggled to earn a place in the team under Ruben Amorim but has been given a new lease of life under Carrick. Mainoo started for England in the final of Euro 2024 and is hoping to get back to that level by the time the World Cup rolls around in the summer.
Mason Mount – Central midfield
Signed by Man Utd for €68m from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, he has been held back by persistent injury problems. Mount has played only 66 matches for Man Utd but is currently in the middle of his most productive season yet for the Old Trafford side.
Compared
Mason Mount
AM, M (C)
Man Utd
Mason Mount
AM, M (C)
Man Utd
VS
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
|
|
ETV |
|
| €30.4M - €37.1M | ETV Range | €55.3M - €67.6M |
| 27 years old (10 Jan, 1999) | Age | 20 years old (19 Apr, 2005) |
|
England
|
Nationality |
England
|
Jack Fletcher – Central midfield
An academy prospect, Fletcher has featured three times off the bench this season for Man Utd but has yet to make a serious breakthrough. He is noted for his technical qualities, passing range and playmaking skills. Edges twin brother Tyler to get into this team, although Carrick has preferred the Scotland U21 star.
Forwards
Shea Lacey
Perhaps the player in the Manchester United academy that fans are most excited about, Lacey has been given brief tastes of first-team football. He notably made an exciting cameo against Burnley, coming off the bench and immediately hitting the bar in a 2-2 draw with a stunning long-range effort. It’s something of a surprise, then, that he’s only made the bench once under Carrick. More of a winger than a forward, but makes the grade based on his talent and a lack of other obvious options.
Gabriel Biancheri
The 19-year-old Welsh forward has eight goals in the Premier League 2 this season and has been farmed out to League One Rochdale to gain experience. He made his senior debut last weekend coming off the bench in a 3-0 loss against Cardiff.
Conclusion
Ratcliffe may have an anti-immigration stance (at least when it comes to those moving to the UK), but the football industry heavily encourages it. Without recruitment from abroad, United's squad looks desperately thin and would surely be Championship bound.
Related stories:
Liverpool prepare for Man Utd showdown over Salah replacement
Man Utd plan transfer for unsettled Arsenal target as Casemiro replacement
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